


Terra Incognita

by renaissance



Series: side effects [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, POV Outsider, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 08:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11032881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renaissance/pseuds/renaissance
Summary: This is uncharted territory—Phichit's first competition without Yuuri as his rinkmate. And that's not the only big change in Yuuri's life.(To be read after chapter 6 ofit's the side effects that save us.)





	Terra Incognita

**Author's Note:**

> i cannot stress enough how much you must must must read chapter 6 of side effects before you read this! if you're new here and just clicking on this fic for the first time, sorry, but there's about 35k of backstory required for any of this to make sense. i'm biased, but i think you should read it :P
> 
> for those of you who have read chapter 6: this is intended to explain a few things, from yuuri's perspective via phichit's perspective. (i'm saving yuuri's POV for a later side-story.) i've never written phichit's POV before but i have a challenge going with a friend and today we each had to write a 100-word sentence, so incorporating that into this gave me a bit of direction and i'm really happy with how it turned out.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Phichit says, “I love it, but—”

_Are you okay?_

This season is like a dream for him: Celestino had let him choreograph not only one, but _both_ of his routines to music from _The_ _King and The Skater_ —and just in case, he’s worked on an exhibition skate to music from the third movie—and Celestino’s really gone the extra mile, picking up and moving to Bangkok to be his exclusive coach, but none of that would’ve been possible if Celestino was still working with Yuuri, and there’s no reason for Celestino _not_ to be working with Yuuri anymore, beyond the mysterious conversation the two of them had back in March, which, in all likelihood, Yuuri will remain resolutely secretive about for—forever, maybe.

“But?” Yuuri prompts.

They’re stretching in the warm-up room designated for all the skaters competing in the first group. Phichit so badly wants to ask him about that conversation. And Viktor is across the other side of the room talking to Christophe, so it’s the perfect opportunity.

“It’s the perfect opportunity for you,” Yuuri continues. “You get to skate at your _home_ home rink, and you get to keep your coach.”

“And it’s _very_ fortunate that you picked up a new coach so soon,” Phichit says, “but you couldn’t possibly have known he was serious about coaching you when you left!”

“You have to understand,” Yuuri says—which is code for, _I’m about to say something that’s such a reach, even Elastigirl would be impressed_ —“I was about to graduate from college, and without my scholarship money, there wasn’t much that could’ve kept me in Detroit. It was my best option.”

Phichit is, as expected, unimpressed. “Celestino would’ve found money for you. You know that.”

“You just wish I was still your rinkmate,” Yuuri says, sticking his tongue out.

Yuuri probably doesn’t believe his own words, but, well, he’s right. Yuuri can be a bit patronising, and with three years between them, Phichit sort of understands why, and Yuuri can be closed-off and snappy and downright morbid sometimes, but Phichit has never liked anyone half so much as he likes Yuuri—it’s not _like_ like, but it’s the unbreakable bond forged by being thrown into a country where you barely speak the language and having someone there to muddle through it with you—and he _does_ wish Yuuri was still his rinkmate. The adventures they’d go on! He would take Yuuri around Bangkok to all the tacky tourist places and then he’d show him the back streets and the hidden gems and they’d live in the same flat and cook something new every night—

But. Phichit understands that Yuuri is happiest at home, and he’d been away from it for so long too. He also understands that Yuuri is happy with Viktor beyond belief, which makes sense, because Phichit is of the opinion that they’re like, soulmates, or something. He doesn’t know where he stands on the whole _destiny_ thing, but Yuuri’s undying love for Viktor Nikiforov is one of the universal constants, like Newton’s or Planck’s, and it’s so fulfilling to see the same love in Viktor’s eyes. Over dinner last night—Phichit had almost felt like an intruder on an unfolding scandal, which is why he’d put that photo on Insta, because wherever there’s drama, he’s honour-bound to report on it.

So, he tells Yuuri the truth: “Yes, I do. That doesn’t stop me from being curious, though. And the rest of the skating world too, Yuuri! Everyone thought you were going to retire for good after Worlds, and then a month later it comes out that _Viktor_ is coaching you. That’s, like, the biggest news of the year.” Phichit spreads his arms out like a rainbow. “ _The talent who got Viktor Nikiforov to retire_ —now _that’s_ a way to be remembered!”

It’s supposed to be innocent praise. Yuuri has never taken praise well, but this is a new one. He seems to curl in on himself, saying, “Oh, no, oh no, I couldn’t—”

“Whoa, hey.” Phichit leans forward and takes Yuuri by the wrist. If anyone was watching, they’d just think he was helping Yuuri stretch. “What’s the matter?”

Yuuri unfurls a bit. “I’ve never told anyone this. Back in April, when Yurio—ah, Yuri Plisetsky—when he was in Hasetsu, and we did the Onsen on Ice competition, you remember?”

“Duh,” Phichit says. “I would’ve been livetweeting it if you’d had time to set up a livestream.”

“I did something really stupid,” Yuuri says. “From the start, Yurio said that he was there to bring Viktor back to Russia to choreograph for him this season. So I gave Viktor an ultimatum: the winner chooses their prize, and my prize would be that he’d stay with me as my coach for the rest of the season. Not just the GP series. The whole year.”

The pieces are beginning to fit together in Phichit’s head a bit better now. “And Yurio?”

“Yurio upped the ante. He asked Viktor to be his coach, if he won.”

“Well, that clearly didn’t happen,” Phichit says, comforting.

Yuuri nods. “Yeah. Yurio won, but Viktor refused to honour the ultimatum. He _chose_ to stay with me, Phichit.”

“So? That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Yes and no.” Yuuri twists his fingers together. A nervous habit. “Yurio said afterwards that he wasn’t going to make Viktor stay, anyway. I was—I’m the only one who’s still holding onto this stupid ultimatum, forcing Viktor to stick around until the end of the season.”

The last piece clicks into place. “Yuuri—he chose to stay. You’re not forcing Viktor to do anything. And, like, he is _seriously_ in love with you. You know that, right?”

“I guess I do,” Yuuri says. “There’s a difference between our working relationship and our—our _relationship_ , though. It doesn’t matter how we feel about each other. What matters is that… I want him to know that he’s not bound by what I demanded of him. That if he wants to stop coaching me, he can. Even _Yurio_ was mature enough to know that our deal was stupid. But here I am, clinging onto it like an idiot. I don’t want him to go, Phichit, but—”

Phichit sticks out his arm fast as lightning and places his index finger over Yuuri’s lips. “No more catastrophising,” he says. He wouldn’t have known that word if Yuuri hadn’t taught it to him, back in Detroit. “Viktor’s not going to leave you. But… if it’s worrying you, you should talk to him about it.”

“Yeah,” Yuuri says shakily. “I’ll talk to him about it tonight.”

“That’s the spirit!” Phichit says.

He’s about to add something else, but Viktor himself breaks through the momentary silence with a shout.

“Yuuri! Are you warmed up yet? We should go over your short programme at least once more before it’s time to skate it.”

Viktor doesn’t give Yuuri a chance to respond, throwing out his arms. In turn, Yuuri takes his hands and uses Viktor’s weight as a counterbalance to help him to his feet. They’re so cute together. Phichit doesn’t think he’ll ever get sick of being a fly on the wall for moments like this.

“Okay, let’s go somewhere quiet,” Yuuri says, and Phichit just _knows_ they’re going to make out. “Um, Phichit—thanks.”

“Any time, Yuuri,” Phichit says. He means it so, so much.

He keeps his eyes trained on them as Viktor throws his arm around Yuuri’s shoulders and leads him away. For all of Yuuri’s concerns, Phichit is convinced he’s overthinking it. Anyone looking at the two of them would be able to tell what a perfect couple they are.

Whatever happens, Yuuri will do just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> tfw your best friend gives you genuinely good advice and you screw everything up anyway


End file.
